After nine years of first filing of complaint,  Mumbai police is finally gearing up to file a formal case against a unit of US based Johnson and Johnson (J&J) for supplying faulty hip implants to patients.

The police was forced to act against the global healthcare giant after it launched a probe following a series of reports about faulty J&J implants, and based on the findings of a central government constituted expert committee.  

It all began in 2011 when a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspector in Maharashtra had filed a complaint against DePuy Medical, a subsidiary of J&J. An estimated 4,700 patients had undergone acetabular surface replacement (ASR) surgeries in India between 2004 and 2010 in which the faulty implant was used.

The company had recalled the devices after global reports of metal poisoning and high failure rate. The Indian government had last year directed the company to pay compensation to the affected patients.